Page 44 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Health & Healing

give you that. Because I’m in your born, the sound of their dad by the the lack of information that comes
home there’s nowhere else, I will go time they are born. Cause it’s quite with that can really set you up for –
unless you invite your sister or your dramatic. You can imagine this baby should I say, failure? Because if you
friend who is also in labor so that is doing so many things for the first don’t even know that yes you have a
you do it together which doesn’t’ time, there’s drama in their life but baby growing and look it’s a lot of
happen. So, giving that one-on-one just being in the hands of someone work creating hair, eyeballs, bones,
care is something priceless, but not you know knows you, cares for you, muscles, organs, systems it’s a lot of
imposing on what the woman will you know them you’ve been hear- work so it requires a lot from you,
do. Just allowing her to feel her ing them really gives you that “I’m but if you don’t know “How should
body, listen to her body, be guided okay”. And even as much as yes, we I eat? What should I do? How do I
in what she should do and you just do know that homebirths will not run my day? Should I put my legs up
encourage that and affirm it and be for everyone, especially where and just wait for this child to come
allow her to just be. there are medical issues to be looked out one day? Should I be active?
at, one of the other dreams I have, What activity? How much of it? All
When a child enters the world except for encouraging this home- that is something that we need to
in an atmosphere of love and birth practice, is that our hospitals equip ourselves with as women and
peace and calmness and is will start creating very natural and sourcing for it is really important,
received by their family in that very gentle atmospheres for birth. just so that you are not only phys-
same nature, you’re not now We don’t need to have oxygen piped ically okay but also mentally and
emotionally okay. How do you pre-
in the delivery room; it can come in
fighting off things in order to a cylinder if we need it, but it just pare yourself to become a mother?
survive in the world you’re just needs to be as gentle as possible.
stable and then you focus on I remember one psychologist de- And sometimes it goes to both
the next steps for the future, scribing it this way, he said “Well,” extremes you might ask somebody
not this other trauma that and he was telling the hospitals, how is it being a mother? And
sometimes happens where “Psychology just confirms that a somebody looks at you and says,
you’re just feeling like you’re baby needs to come out in a similar “Oh my God it’s the best! It’s so
rushed and now you’re a num- environment as which they came good.” And somebody else looks
ber in the system. in. So, if you really want to reno- at you and says “Let me tell you,
And there are lots of studies that vate your maternity wings from a just wait for your time. It’s crazy it’s
have been done to demonstrate that. psychological point of view make like these human beings just come
I don’t know about our country but it as homely, as private, as quiet as to consume from you.” So you can
I know in most western countries non-clinical as would be… have the be on all extremes, but the truth is
they have done a lot to make birth clinical things on the side in case it is a balance you have good days,
very gentle, whether natural and you need them and bring them in you have bad days, you have days
now they are even working really when they are needed but don’t you don’t even know where to
hard in making c-sections very gen- make it the center of everything.” place, but you have the capacity and
tle where they are trying to mimic So, that’s another dream I have that the ability to actually navigate that
the natural way in some of the we will have delivery suites that are course in pregnancy during birth
things they do. A lot of studies have non-clinical. and even after. It’s just that we need
been done to show that babies who to constantly equip ourselves with
land gently, end up being very gentle That are human. Thank you the resources that are necessary.
even in their first month of life. so much for all of these in- I mean take a childbirth class just
They settle easily. You were received sights, is there anything else know what is this labor story like.
by your mom, if it wasn’t your that you would like the audi- What should I do with myself? How
mom, you were received by your ence to know and think about should I take care of myself? How
dad, even if you were received by as we close? long will it take? Do we even know?
this midwife, they just handed you Every opportunity I have, I really Do we care? When the baby comes,
over to the rightful people, whom like to overemphasize the strength what is required of me in terms of
you already know because most that is within a woman to carry breastfeeding and baby care and all
babies already know the sound of and birth a child, and not just that that? So, what do I do about this?
their mom by the time that they are but also to nurture her child. But Just equip yourself but most of all
trust, it’s already within you.

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